Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 246of 286

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِنَبِىٍّۢ لَّهُمُ ٱبْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًۭا نُّقَٰتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَٰتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَٰرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا مِّنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴿٢٤٦

Translation (Sahih International)

Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Word-by-word meaning

أَلَمْalamDid not
تَرَtarayou see
إِلَىilā[towards]
ٱلْمَلَإِl-mala-ithe chiefs
مِنۢminof
بَنِىٓbanī(the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla(of) Israel
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
مُوسَىٰٓmūsāMusa
إِذْidhwhen
قَالُوا۟qālūthey said
لِنَبِىٍّۢlinabiyyinto a Prophet
لَّهُمُlahumuof theirs
ٱبْعَثْib'ʿathAppoint
لَنَاlanāfor us
مَلِكًۭاmalikana king
نُّقَـٰتِلْnuqātilwe may fight
فِىin
سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi(of) Allah
قَالَqālaHe said
هَلْhalWould
عَسَيْتُمْʿasaytumyou perhaps
إِنinif
كُتِبَkutibaprescribed
عَلَيْكُمُʿalaykumuupon you
ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitālu[the] fighting
أَلَّاallāthat not
تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖtuqātilūyou fight
قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
وَمَاwamāAnd what
لَنَآlanāfor us
أَلَّاallāthat not
نُقَـٰتِلَnuqātilawe fight
فِىin
سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
وَقَدْwaqadwhile surely
أُخْرِجْنَاukh'rij'nāwe have been driven
مِنminfrom
دِيَـٰرِنَاdiyārināour homes
وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖwa-abnāināand our children
فَلَمَّاfalammāYet, when
كُتِبَkutibawas prescribed
عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimuupon them
ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitāluthe fighting
تَوَلَّوْا۟tawallawthey turned away
إِلَّاillāexcept
قَلِيلًۭاqalīlana few
مِّنْهُمْ ۗmin'humamong them
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
عَلِيمٌۢʿalīmun(is) All-Knowing
بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَbil-ẓālimīnaof the wrongdoers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Story of the Jews Who sought a King to be appointed over ThemMujahid said that the Prophet (mentioned in the Ayah 2:246 above) is Shamwil (Samuel). Wahb bin Munabbih said: The Children of Israel remained on the straight path for a period of time after Moses. They then innovated in the religion and some of them even worshipped the idols.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project